Letter-box



(No Model.)

W. W. HASKELL.

LETTER BOX.

Patented Apr. 8. 1890.

Win B9858 U UNITED STATES WILLIAM \V. I'IASKELL,

PATENT FFICE.

OF STERLING, ILLINOIS.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,225, dated April 8, 1890.

Application filed June 13, 1889.

T aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM WV. HASKELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sterling, in the county of IVhiteside and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gard-Receivers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledrin the art to'whi'eh it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

I to the letters of reference marked thereon,

which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to card-receivers, and particularly to that class which are adapted to be fastened onto the front door or on the front of a house.

The object of the invention is to provide a card-receiver which will be simple in its construction, certain in operation, and which will at all times keep the cards deposited therein dry and secure them safely until removed by the person or persons (or their rep resentatives) intended to receive them.

With these ends in view the invention consists in a case and holder therefor and a device for secretly locking the one within the other, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my card-receiver attached to the front of a house near the door. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my holder. Fig. 3 is aperspective view of myimprovcd case. Fig. 4 is a rear plan. view of a modified form of my holder shown in Fig. 2, showing lugs cast thereon. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the case thereof, showing a modification of my springs; and Fig. 6 is a front View of the modified holder, showing the case and springs in dotted lines.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the figures.

The support A for the holder B may be of any suitable material or construction, so as to be readily attached to a door or house, although it is immaterial whether this support A be employed or not, as the hooked ends I) of the holder B maybe constructed withlong Serial No. 314,141. (No model.)

or wall of a house.

card-slot e in the top, closed sides. perforated or open front work, and open back. The lower end is also left open, and the lower portions of the sides of the said holder 13 are notched, as at O, and have perforations D formed therein.

top to receive the cards, and is provided at each side with the depending springs F, havinglugs or buttons f formed thereon,which, when the case is inserted into the holder B at the bottom, will register with and enter into the notches C and perforations D. By this arrangement a secret lock for the case in the holder is obtained, which prevents the case being removed except by one who is. familiar with the operation of the device. The said case E is made smaller at the bottom than at the top,

space between the holder B and the sides of the said case E. It is obvious that these buttons may be made of such size as to exactly fit within and fill the perforations D, and when so located to have their outer surfaces flush with the exterior surface of the holder 13, so as to be comparatively obscured from ordinary observation, and thus p resenting nothing to indicate their purpose; or, if desired, they may project beyond the surface of said holder and be suitably ornamented to add to the appearance of the device. Then it is desired to remove the case from the holder, the buttons f are simply pressed together until they are disengaged by the notches C and perforations D. Then the case will readily drop out of the holder.

ends I) and covers the entire top of the holder B and case E and protects them from rain, snow, & c. The roof G may be provided with a spring g 'to force the said roof down in place after being lifted up.

hen it is desired to use the device inside avestibule, the cover or roof may be dispensed with.

By providing the front of the holder B with sharpened points to be driven into the door The holder or shell B is constructed with a or wedge-shaped, so as to allow plenty of The case E is made inone piece,with an open The cover or roof Gr is pivoted in the hooked open-work the contents of the case can be easily seen without removing the case It.

The form of holder shown in Fig. t has lugs II cast thereon, and is provided with holes 71. to accommodate screws for attaching the said holder to a door or wall of a house.

On the inside of the sides of the holder B is cast projections I, which take the place of the notches C and perforations D. (Shown in Fig. 3.)

As shown in Fig. 5, the buttons f on the springs F are dispensed with and the said springs are bowed at the lowercorners of the case E. The ends thereof pass under the said case and are coiled, so as to bereadily grasped and pressed together when inserting the case into the holder or removing it therefrom. It will be observed that in this construction the projections I are located far enough from the bottom of the holder to hold the case (by the bowed position of the spring resting on the said projection) up within the said holder out of sight, and nothing is seen when the device is in position on a door or wall but the holder, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. It will also be observed that this device forms a secret look, as well as the device shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

By enlarging the proportions of the holder and case it can readilybe used as a letter-box.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise construction herein described and shown, as I reserve to myselt the right of. varying the construction of the looking device without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A card-receiver consisting of the perforated notched holder having pointed hooked ends, the case E, provided with springs having lugs or buttons formed thereon and adapted to be received by the perforations and notches in the said holder, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a card-receiver, the open case E, provided with springs F, in combination with the holder B, provided with pointed hooked ends I), and the spring-roof G, pivoted in the said hooked ends and adapted to protect the said receiver and its contents, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a card-receiver, the combination. of the case E with a holder or shell having an entirely open back and bottom, a slotted top, for the purpose set forth, and also a front adapted to show the contents of the said case without removing it from said holder, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM W. IIASKEL'L. \Vitnesses:

EUGENE Scares, W. 1;. EnnoNs. 

